


i'm so tired of love songs (on the radio)

by catboast



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M, Marriage Proposal, Radio Host Doyoung, apparently this has angst but i think there is much more fluff, relationship and characters to be added as story progresses, sweet and sappy relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-10-29 23:29:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17817587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catboast/pseuds/catboast
Summary: Hundreds of listeners tune in every night to Kim Doyoung’s Evening Chat on SM Radio, where the host has a talent for comforting and helping listeners fix their heartbreak and relationships.Yet every night, Doyoung goes home to an empty apartment and the only thing that fills his heart is longing for someone he hasn’t seen in years.





	1. 하루의 끝 (end of a day)

Doyoung settles into his large chair and pulls the set of headphones onto his head. He skims through the papers on his desk and adjusts the microphone in front of him. 

 

In his headphones, he hears a voice, “All set?” He looks up, to where Johnny, his producer, is standing behind the glass window of the studio and gives him a thumbs up to let him know that he’s ready. 

 

He hears the ring of a familiar jingle and counts down in his head. On the count of 10, the “On Air” signal on the studio wall lights up red and Doyoung begins like he always does. “Good evening everyone, it’s 11pm and you’re listening to Doyoung’s Evening Chat on SM Radio. Thank you so much for tuning in, I hope you’ll enjoy what we have prepared for you tonight.” 

 

Doyoung’s voice is calm and soothing. His voice is his livelihood and, through it, he connects with the people that listen to him, to bring them comfort and motivation at the end of the day. He’s been doing this job for almost three years now and has gained enough recognition and popularity that his show is now on air 5 days a week. Through the show, Doyoung gives advice, shares music, book recommendations, and, from time to time, hosts guests, usually musicians, authors, or actors. 

 

“I’m sure you’ve all noticed that the trees are now bare and that the temperatures are rapidly falling as winter settles in comfortably in Seoul. I hope that no matter where you are, you are taking the necessary precautions to stay warm and safe. This is a time that you should be spending with family and loved ones. These are the people that will bring the most warmth to your life during these cold months. 

 

“I know that some of my listeners are struggling with their relationships, whether they be romantic or otherwise. After this song, I will be reading one listener’s message and, as always, sharing any advice that I can give them. If you have a concern that you would like me to help you with, remember to send it to our email address and it may get picked for tomorrow night. And for now, enjoy this song and the winter breeze it brings along with it.”

 

As the song starts, Doyoung mutes the microphone and, humming along with the lyrics, picks up the paper in front of him. Preparing for the next segment, he reads the letter that was chosen for today. He’s gotten into the habit of imagining what the person who wrote the message might look like, drawing up a pictures in his mind. Today, he sees a young man, a recent university graduate, working as a freelance artist. He’s got bright eyes and a kind smile, the kind of person is soft-hearted and easy to love. Doyoung smiles to himself and, not for the first time, wishes he could actually see the person who sent the message in, to see whether or not his guess is close to the reality.

 

Turning the mic back as the last notes of the song are heard, he takes over casually, “Our message tonight is from a listener with the username zeus98. Here is what they wrote: ‘Dear Doyoung, 

I’ve been dating my boyfriend for over 6 years now. We love each other a lot and moved in together 3 years ago. He’s always been really joyful and loves showing his affection every minute of every day. He sends me messages full of emojis every hour while he’s at work and when I get home, I don’t even have time to take my shoes off before being tackled into a hug. These past couple of weeks, though, everything’s changed. He’s staying a lot later at work and when he does come home, he’s always tired and apathetic. I’m not used to being the one to have to seek out affection, when he’s usually the one doing so. Is there any way for me to know what has caused this distance? Is it a sign that our relationship will not last? I hope you can help me with this so that I can reconnect with him.’”

 

“First of all, I’d like to thank zeus98 for sending in this message. I can understand why you feel hurt and uncertain in this situation. I feel like I need to start my answer to this question by explaining that it’s completely normal for changes to occur in long term relationships. As people change, so will their wishes, desires, and motivations. Now, I’m not saying that this means that your boyfriend doesn’t feel the same way about you as he did before. If your relationship has lasted this long, it means that there is a strong foundation, but as we know, no relationship is unshakeable. 

 

“If I can give you any piece of advice, it would be to trust your partner. This is so important to relationships. You can’t assume anything and you shouldn’t be afraid of opening up to them about what you’ve written in your message. If you are feeling this distance, then I feel like it is best to address it as a couple. Only then can you discover what the root of the problem is. Maybe they don’t realise themselves that they’ve become distant and you being honest about your feelings would go a long way in mending this relationship. 

 

“Finally, I want to leave you with the words that I give to almost everyone, and that is ‘be patient’. Humans are complicated creatures and we make mistakes, but nothing that can’t be fixed with time. I wish you the best of luck and sincerely hope that your relationship works out. It seems like he is a very lucky person to have someone who cares about him like you do.”

 

***

 

Jungwoo is curled up on the couch as he listens to the radio. There’s only one small lamp dimly lighting the room and he feels glad that he has Doyoung’s words to fill up his empty apartment. When Doyoung finishes responding to his message, he turns off the radio and sits in silence for a while, mulling over Doyoung’s words. Overall, he feels comforted by the radio host’s words. It could all be the normal progression in their relationship, he thinks. But in truth, it’s only made Jungwoo’s fears grow. He knows has to confront Yukhei about the distance that’s growing between them, but he’s terrified at the thought of possibly losing him. They’ve been together for so long that Jungwoo can barely remember when Yukhei wasn’t by his side.

As he hears the front door beep as it unlocks, his chest tightens. Glancing at the clock, he can see that it’s 11:37 PM. 

“Yukhei?” He calls out.

There’s no immediate reply, but then his boyfriend comes into the living room. “Hi baby,” his voice is low and worn out, it reminds Jungwoo of home. 

Jungwoo’s up on his feet and gently reaches for Yukhei, to wrap his arms around him and pull him into a hug. Resting his head against the taller’s chest, he can feel the warmth emanating from him. Yukhei presses a kiss to the top of his head and holds him closer. 

 

“How was work?” Jungwoo mumbles into his shirt, not having any intention of letting go anytime soon.

 

“Tiring,” is Yukhei’s reply. “I missed you.”

 

At that, Jungwoo looks up, so he can get a better look at Yukhei’s face, noticing the dark circles and the way the corners of his mouth are drooping sadly. “Did something happen honey? Do you need talk about it?”

 

Yukhei’s shaking his head and pulls away from Jungwoo so that he can fall onto the couch, his body not able to contain the exhaustion. “Sorry, Woo, I’m tired. I’ll probably go to bed soon.”

 

Jungwoo feels a dull pain in his heart. He can’t hide the fact that he’s hurt that Yukhei is pushing him away when they should be able to talk about anything with each other. He thinks about Doyoung’s words and knows that he has to confront Yukhei about it. He sits besides the other on the couch and presses a light kiss to his cheek, which barely summons a reaction. “Are you sure, Xuxi? You know that you can talk to me-”

 

“I said I’m tired,” Yukhei cuts him off harshly and Jungwoo’s left with his mouth half open and the tingling sensation in his heart just getting stronger. 

 

He knows he has to be patient, he knows that Yukhei’s tired and that he probably didn’t mean to be so harsh, and yet, he can’t help himself. He can’t live another day like this if it means he’s only delaying getting his heart broken.

 

“Do you not love me anymore?” The words come out small and shy, as if Jungwoo isn’t sure whether or not he wants Yukhei to hear them.

 

Yukhei looks up immediately, his eyes full of confusion, which dissolves into worry when he sees that Jungwoo’s barely managing to hold back tears. “What do you mean, Woo? Of course I do! Why would you even think that?”

 

Jungwoo’s looking down and his heart is beating really fast. When he speaks, he feels like he’s stumbling over his words. “I-I just mean, that you’ve been so distant lately. You come home so late and when you do, you don’t want to spend time with me because you’re so tired. I just can’t help feeling like you’re avoiding me and then I tried to figure out why and I thought that it might be because you don’t love me anymore and you’re thinking of leaving me.” Hot tears are rolling down his face by now, he tries to wipe them with the sleeves of sweater, but before he can, Yukhei’s got him in a crushing hug, holding him so tight he might break. 

 

“Oh Woo, oh I’m so sorry, of course not. I love you so much baby, I could never leave you. I’m so sorry,” Yukhei’s peppering kisses all over his face, apologising again and again and trying to reassure him the best he can. 

 

After a couple minutes, it works because Jungwoo’s tears have stopped flowing and he’s left with tiny hiccups as he tries to regain his breath. “So w-why did you not want to talk to me? You kept avoiding me.”

 

Yukhei presses another sweet kiss to his cheek, tasting the saltiness of tears. “I never meant to avoid you, baby, I’ve been working extra hours because I’ve been preparing for something… I’m so sorry, I didn’t know that you felt like this.” He seems to pause for a moment to think. “There’s something I have to go get, Woo, I’ll be right back.” He’s off in an instant, leaving Jungwoo alone on the couch, as he heads towards their bedroom. Two minutes later, he comes back, holding something in his hand that Jungwoo can’t see clearly.

 

“You know, I really wasn’t planning on doing it like this…” Before Jungwoo can process anything, Yukhei’s dropping to one knee and pulls out a small velvet box, which he opens to reveal a beautiful silver ring. Jungwoo’s mouth hangs open.

 

“Kim Jungwoo, you are the love of my life. I’ve loved you for so many years and every day I find myself falling deeper for you. I’ve know for a while now that you are the person that I want to spend the rest of my life with.” Despite his outwards confidence, Jungwoo notices that Yukhei’s hands are shaking, and he inhales before finally asking, “Jungwoo, will you do me the honor of becoming my husband?”

 

There’s a moment of silence, as Jungwoo remains stunned. Yukhei’s brows tighten as he feels a tinge of worry and tries to backtrack, “I’m sorry if this isn’t the right moment, I know we were just-”

 

“I’ll do it,” Jungwoo cuts him off with the declaration.

 

Yukhei’s eyes grow huge as he stares at his boyfriend’s face. “Y-you will?”

 

Before he knows it, Jungwoo’s pulling Yukhei into a crushing hug, pressing closer, feeling his heart ache again but for a different reason.  “I love you so much, Yukhei. I love you and nothing will make me happier than getting married to you.”

 

When Jungwoo pulls back, he sees Yukhei wearing his characteristic goofy smile and Jungwoo’s so happy to see it again that he almost forgets about his doubts and worries from just 20 minutes ago. 

 

“You should put it on!” Yukhei suddenly seems really excited, “It should fit, I took your measurements while you were sleeping. And, look, it has our initials engraved on the inside!”

 

Jungwoo can see the letters ‘WYH, KJW’ engraved on the inside of silver ring. He holds his breath as Yukhei slips the ring over his ring finger, where it fits perfectly. He holds out his hand and can’t keep his eyes off it, it’s the most beautiful ring he’s ever seen. Simple, yet perfect.

 

“Are you okay, Woo? You’re crying again,” Yukhei sounds worried.

 

His vision’s gotten blurry and Jungwoo can feel that his cheeks are wet. 

 

“They’re tears of happiness,” he reassures his fiancé before pulling him closer and locking their lips together in a deep kiss.

 

Pulling away just a millimeter, he whispers the words, “I love you, thank you.” 

  
  


***

Doyoung wakes up to the sound of his alarm clock buzzing loudly and he reaches out for the snooze button reflexively before rolling back into the covers. He tries to falls back asleep in vain. His bed is large, cold and empty, not unwelcoming, but rather lifeless. It doesn’t take much more than a few minutes before Doyoung is rolling out of bed, beginning his day with a long sigh. 

 

He stands and walk to the window to pull open the curtains and reveal a whole wall made of glass, through which Doyoung has a rare view Seoul. He lives on one of the high floors of a fancy apartment building and it gives him a great view of the modern buildings of the city. In the distance, one can spot the Han river, and pressing up against the glass, you can just about make out the people in the streets below, bustling about to get on with their business for the day.  

 

The room is white and modern, much like the rest of the apartment and in much the same condition as when Doyoung bought it. The kitchen and living room are so clean that it almost feels like no one lives here.

 

In the kitchen, Doyoung prepares his morning smoothie and granola bowl on the marble countertop before settling on the couch to eat in front of the tv. He turns on some documentary about snow leopards and munches on his breakfast, pensively considering the benefits of a being a solitary and dangerous creature living on mountaintops before his phone rings to indicate that he’s received a message. 

 

_ Johnny 10:01 am _

_ Morning Do. Look what we received in our email this morning :) _

 

Attached is a picture of the email and a picture, of two men smiling brightly into the camera together, one of them holding up his hand to show off the silver ring on his finger.

 

Skimming the message in the email, Doyoung’s heart seems to grow a little fuller. The writer of the message, zeus98 or Jungwoo, as he says his name is, expresses his thanks for Doyoung’s help for him reaching this outcome and Doyoung feels just a pinch of pride, even though he knows that he had very little to do with it. He spends his evenings addressing the relationship concerns of listeners and helping them to the best of his abilities, but it’s not often that he sees true love like this so obviously reflected in two individuals’ faces. He thinks that no matter the advice he had given Jungwoo, these two would have still ended up together. 

 

Because Doyoung believes in true love, he does. Even if he doesn’t think it’s meant for him...

 

He makes a note to remind Johnny to send them a congratulatory reply and sets his phone aside so that he can turn back to his documentary and breakfast. On the tv, the snow leopard has hunted down a family of mountain goats and prepares to attack a young straggler.

 

Doyoung eats alone as the sounds of the tv echo in his empty apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't expecting to post this today but I've been working on it silently for a month or so and today felt right. This story is a small transition work before I start my next big project, it’s nothing really special on the outside, but I’m really attached to it and I’m happy to share it with others.
> 
> Every chapter will center around a different couple and build up Doyoung's storyline bit by bit. Updates will be irregular as I am a very slow writer and a busy uni student :(


	2. 그렇더라고요 (when you love someone)

When Doyoung walks into the studio, he runs into the intern writer who hands him a coffee in one hand and a script in the other.

“Good evening, boss!” Jeno greets him cheerfully.

“Evening, Jeno. How’s Johnny been treating you? I hope that workaholic hasn’t been working you to death,” Doyoung says, pointedly ignoring the piercing glare Johnny is giving him from across the room. 

“Not at all, he’s great!” Jeno’s beaming, “He even let me write the intro for tonight’s show!”

“Did he?” Doyoung asks curiously, raising his eyebrow at his producer.

Johnny shrugs. “It’s nice to get a new, fresh perspective included in the show. We’re both becoming old men, Doyoung, we’re not that relatable to the youth of today.”

The radio host scoffs before patting the intern on the back. “Thanks, Jeno. I’ll have a read and let you know what I think.”

Jeno gives him another bright smile before scurrying off to find their sound engineer, Renjun, and double check that everything is ready for the show.

 

Doyoung sits down on the couch and begins reading the script while sipping his coffee. As he reads the introduction written by Jeno, a thin smile stretches across his face. The first word that comes to mind is definitely ‘youth’. Jeno writes with an optimism and innocence that neither Doyoung nor Johnny could have ever hoped to come up with.

“He’s good, right?” Johnny comments from where he’s standing looking over his shoulder. 

“Very good,” Doyoung confirms. “Won’t be long before he takes on your role as main producer, Youngho.”

Johnny gives a loud bark of laughter. “Don’t get your hopes up, Doyoung. This show is as much mine as it is yours and the day I leave is the same day you retire.” He takes a seat on the couch next to Doyoung, wrapping an arm around his friend’s shoulder, which Doyoung pretends to push away before settling into comfortably. 

“Sometimes I’m not sure whether you’re the one keeping me sane or the reason I’m even going insane in the first place…” Doyoung admits.

“Come on, Doyoung, don’t start blaming me for your lack of a love life. If you found a nice guy to settle down with, I know you’d stop stressing so much about every little thing that’s out of your control.”

Doyoung rolls his eyes as if he hasn’t heard this a million times and sits up from the couch. “Come on, Mr. Producer, we’ve got a show to get on the road, let’s get to work.”

Johnny stands up as well, towering over him. “Let’s grab a drink after work, then. To finish this conversation.”

“Shouldn’t you be getting home to your fiancé after the show? Are you having problems with Ten or something?” he jokes, teasing his friend about his longtime partner. 

“We’ve never been better, but honestly, Do, I feel like I haven’t spent time with you ages. I mean, outside of work.”

Doyoung feels slightly guilty at Johnny’s words. It’s true that the last few times Johnny had asked him out for a drink, he’d refused, citing lack of sleep or whatever excuse he could come up with. He doesn’t want his friend to think that he’s been avoiding him or anything.

“Sure, but you’re paying for drinks.” Doyoung chokes as Johnny gives him a slap on the back.

  
  


“Tonight’s letter is from _‘mr.sunshine127’_.  Here’s what they wrote:

‘Dear Doyoung, I’m writing to you to ask for your help. 

I’ve had a crush on my best friend for over a year now. We’ve been friends for ages, but he’s really such kind and caring person, really handsome too, that I fell for him before I realised that I was making a mistake. The problem isn’t that I haven’t confessed my feelings yet. I’m someone who’s really forward with their affection and it’s not like I haven’t tried telling him how I feel, but the truth is that he’s as dense as a brick wall. 

Last Valentine’s day, when I got him chocolates and a card that said ‘I like you’ and he hugged me and said he liked me too. Of course, he meant as friends. Then, over the summer, when I finally gathered the courage to ask him on a date, he agreed, almost too quickly. It’s not until I showed up at his door with flowers on the night of our date and was greeted by another boy that I realised that he had invited our friends over to hang out as a ‘date’. 

It’s exasperating. I feel like it’s been a year of me chasing around him, waving my arms above my head while he still refuses to acknowledge me.

It slipped out once… I told him that I loved him and he replied that he loved me too, but I know that he didn’t mean it in the same way and that’s the part that hurt the most. 

I don’t know if I can do this anymore, Doyoung, I feel like I’m just turning myself into a fool. I don’t know any more ways to make it more obvious how I feel and I’m starting to think that there’s no point since he probably won’t even reciprocate my feelings. Do you think there’s any way I can still make this work? Or should I just stop trying?’”

 

Doyoung picked out tonight’s message himself while reading through their emails. He can tell that it was written by someone younger, probably a high school student. He imagines someone blunt and honest, but also charismatic and friendly, with a smile as bright as the sun. 

But the thing that really drew Doyoung to this message is that it’s relatable. Hasn’t everyone been there at someone point in there lives? Having a crush on a friend and not being able to express it for fear of ruining their relationship. How many people do we let slip through our fingers because we don’t have the courage to share what’s in our hearts?

 

“Thank you so much for writing in, _‘mr.sunshine127’_. I know that many people are in the same position as you right now. To them, just like you, crossing the line between friends and lovers seems as impossible as climbing the tallest wall in the world.

The truth is that both relationships and friendships are built upon the same values: love, trust, and openness. So what may seem like a big leap isn’t really as daunting as it seems. In fact, you can consider yourself lucky that you already have the basics of what builds a successful relationship. What’s missing is only a small change in direction.

Despite this… Well,” Doyoung sighs, “I can see that you’ve got yourself stuck with a rather difficult case… I think your friend isn’t deliberately causing you harm, but I definitely think that this is something that you need to address quickly, if only for your mental wellbeing. It seems like you’re under a lot of stress right now and you can’t let yourself crumble under this weight all by yourself.  

So my advice for you is to remember that there is no perfect way to start a relationship, no need for flowers or balloons or anything fancy. If it’s only through blunt words and directness that you can convey feelings to him, then there’s no need to sugarcoat anything. 

Even if giving up may seem like the easier option right now, you need to let go of the fear holding you back and believe in yourself. As soon as you get a clear answer, I promise that it will feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. And, dear listener, I sincerely hope it works out for you, because if it does, it will be more wonderful than anything else.”

  
  


***

 

“Hey, you wanted to see me?” 

Donghyuk pulls the earphones from his ears, interrupting the soft ballad song that Doyoung chose to close off the show and stares up at the person greeting him. 

“Hey, Mark.” 

Donghyuk’s sitting on a swing in the children’s play area in the park in front of his house. It’s late enough that it’s dark outside, but the streetlights are still bright enough that he can make out the features on his best friend’s face. He’s wearing a baggy hoodie and what looks like his pajama pants. It’s probably what he threw on when he received Donghyuk’s text just ten minutes ago. The park’s exactly two minutes away from his house and it’s not the first time that they’ve hung out here late at night, just talking and fooling around. It’s much quieter here than in either of their respective households.

“I got us strawberry milk at the convenience store,” he grins brightly as he hands Donghyuk the small bottle. It’s Donghyuk’s favorite and he knows it.

The other murmurs a thanks and is taken off guard as Mark comes closer and reaches for him. Before he can stop him, Mark’s ruffling his messy hair affectionately. “You look really cute today, Hyuk.”

“I always do,” the younger replies without skipping a beat. 

Mark just laughs at that and it annoys Donghyuk to no ends that he has no idea what that laugh does to his weak heart. 

When Mark finally takes a seat on the swing next to Donghyuk, he starts absentmindedly swaying back and forth. Donghyuk pokes the straw through the top of his milk bottle and starts sipping in silence. Despite what most people would think from looking at the two friends on the outside, the two of them can be quiet and are often just as comfortable being silent in the presence of each other. It’s like their energies balance each other out.

 

“So,” Mark finally speaks up, “What’s wrong?”

“What makes you think anything’s wrong?”

“It’s not that hard to notice that you always come here when you have something on your mind, Hyuk,” Mark catches his eyes, full of seriousness, and Donghyuk blushes at that.

“Just thinking about things... Do you think there’s a chance I won’t ever find someone who loves me and I’ll end up alone?”

“Donghyuk, that’s ridiculous, any person would be lucky to have the chance to be your significant other! You’re funny and caring, not to mention cute. You’ll find someone eventually, I promise.” Donghyuk’s blushing furiously as he ducks his head to hide and sip his strawberry milk.  “You know what?” Mark suddenly sounds excited at his new idea, “I can help you find someone, I can set you up on a blind date with some friends. I’m sure you’ll be able to find someone who corresponds with what you’re looking for!”

Donghyuk suddenly turns to look at Mark’s face, to see him smiling brightly, expecting Donghyuk to be pleased. 

“Mark Lee, do you know that you are a cruel man?”  The words come out by themselves, taking both of the boys off guard.

“Huh? Hyuk, what are you talking about?”

Donghyuk takes a shaky breath, realising for the first time that he’s holding back tears. He won’t cry tonight, no, he’s had enough of crying over Mark for a lifetime. He thinks about Doyoung’s words, that he needs to be brave and let go of the fear.

“Mark, you’re what I’m looking for.”

There’s a moment of silence and Donghyuk looks at Mark to see his eyes filled with confusion.  “What do you mean?”

“It means, you idiot, that I want you to be my boyfriend.”

 

“Oh.” Understanding floods Mark’s face. There’s no mistaking those words for anything other than what they are.

Donghyuk starts to feel nervous, like this was a mistake. He opens his mouth to justify himself, “I’ve been trying to tell you for months, it’s been so frustrating because you’re so dense. I don’t even care now, you can reject me, just put me out of my misery so that I can get on with my life and stop being obsessed with you.”

Mark’s got his mouth hanging open. “I- uh… Hyuk…”

Donghyuk stands up facing him, all inhibition is gone and he remembers Doyoung’s words. “I need an answer, Mark.”

“This is so sudden, Hyuk, I’m sorry I didn’t realise before. I never even considered the possibility of your liking me in that way.”

Donghyuk takes a deep breath, remembering the promise he made not to cry. “Is that a no?”

“No!” Mark says loudly too quickly, standing up to face Donghyuk, “I mean, no, it’s not a no. I just never thought that you saw me in that way, so I had to keep myself from looking at you in the same light.”

“Don’t-” Donghyuk begins to reply, but stops as soon as he processes what Mark just said. Suddenly, he’s at a loss for words and finds himself staring at Mark with confusion in his eyes. 

Still sitting on the swing and looking up at Donghyuk, Mark can feel himself begin to smile. “Donghyuk, you’re so wonderful and amazing, you mean so much to me and, if you still want an oblivious idiot like me, I’d love to be your boyfriend.”

 

If this was a romcom, this would be the moment when fireworks go off in the backgrounds. There may not be any real life pyrotechnics in this moment, but inside Donghyuk’s chest, it feels like his heart is bursting with joy.

“Does that mean I can kiss you?”

Mark bursts out laughing, “Is that really the first thing you want to do as soon as we start dating?”

“Well, I’ve waited this long, so, yeah, I kinda want to kiss you.” Donghyuk pouts.

Before he knows it, Mark’s hands are gently cupping his face and their lips are pressed together. Donghyuk closes his eyes and lets himself enjoy the sensation of finally getting to kiss Mark. It’s nothing out of this world, like he expected, but it feels warm and familiar, like coming home after a long day of work. He’s the one to push their kiss deeper, although he’s definitely forgetting to breathe. He’s waited for this moment for a year, oxygen can wait. He grips Mark closer, leaning into him like he’s scared to let go.

Their kiss only breaks when Mark takes a steps back and loses his balance, tripping over the swing behind him. He falls back, dragging Donghyuk along, who lands on top of him.

“Ouch!” Mark complains, having landed awkwardly and now tangled in a mess of limbs.

“Are you alright?” Donghyuk asks, quickly getting off of Mark so that he can breathe. 

“I’m fine, Hyuk.” Mark looks up at him and the moment their eyes meet, both of their seriousness disintegrates as they break out into giggles and laughter. 

“How’s that for a first kiss?” Donghyuk teases the other.

“Very memorable, indeed,” Mark’s smiling up at his boyfriend with stars in his eyes. “Help me up?”

Donghyuk holds out a hand and helps Mark to get his feet. When they’re standing in front of each other, it feels like there’s no tension between them. Donghyuk feels strangely light and giddy.

“We should probably be getting back him, we do have school tomorrow,” Mark reminds him.

“Oh, yeah… I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.” He tries to hide his disappointment at having to part.

“Definitely.”

Donghyuk’s about to head off, but, before he can, he turns to peck Mark on the lips. It’s quick and he leaves the other boy standing there, flushing from head to toe, raising a hand to his burning lips, not even noticing the smile stretching across his lips. Everything feels right in this moment.

 

***

 

Doyoung sighs as he crosses his arms on his desk and lets his head fall down between them. Like every evening, he’s stayed behind after the show to work on tomorrow’s show, but, for some reason, he’s finding it difficult to concentrate on editing the script and reading commenters’ letters. His head’s not in the right place.

“Tough night?” 

Doyoung looks up to see Johnny in the doorway of his office. “You haven’t gone home yet?”

“Nah, you promised me a drink, remember?”

“Oh,” Doyoung had completely forgotten about his promise before the show, Johnny takes one look at his face and figures it out. He grins at the guilty look on his friend’s face. 

“Look, Do, leave that paperwork for now. You can always come back to it tomorrow and, trust me, you look like you could use a drink or two right now.”

It doesn’t take much to convince Doyoung, “Alright, let me get my coat.”

 

As the two radio producers exit their work space, they walk through the building, which is mostly quiet and empty at this time in the evening. They get in the elevator while discussing which bar they should go to when suddenly the elevator stops on the floor just below them.

The doors open, slowly revealing a tall handsome man with brown hair and wearing a gray suit jacket over his shirt. Recognition flashes across his face as he meets Doyoung’s eyes and a lovely smile immediately spreads across his face. “Hi Doyoung,” then a split second later, after he notices the other person in the elevator, “Hi Johnny, it’s been a while hasn’t it? Mind if I get in?”

Johnny immediately lights up, “Jaehyun! No, not all, please get it. It’s been, what, five years since our graduation?”

Jaehyun finally gets in, thankfully standing a good distance away from Doyoung, who feels like he’s in a trance and unable to move or react. 

“Yeah, it’s been quite some time. We’ve all been quite busy it seems. I was here for an interview, which ran late. How about you?” 

The question’s addressed at the both of them, but of course, Johnny’s the one to answer. “Doyoung and I are just finishing up work and about to head out for a drink. Would you care to join us and catch up? I loved your new album, by the way, it was honestly brilliant.”

Doyoung can hear Jaehyun laugh, but he’s doing his best not to look at him and also fervently wishing that he could fade into the walls at this moment. “Thanks, I’d love to join you, but unfortunately, I’ve got plans for the evening.”

“Oh, are you seeing anyone?” Only Johnny would ask such a straightforward question to a distant college acquaintance. If only Doyoung could be anywhere but here…

“Oh, no, it’s not that. I just have to babysit my baby niece so that my sister can have her date night.”

The ding of the elevator reaching the ground floor sounds like heaven to Doyoung. He steps out of the elevator first and is off towards the exit, with Johnny and Jaehyun trailing behind. 

 

They exit into the cold night air outside the building and are seemingly about to part ways when Jaehyun says, “I really enjoy the show, by the way, Doyoung. I listen to it whenever I can.”

Doyoung can feel his cheeks getting warm, but he hopes it isn’t too noticeable in this dim street lighting, he utters out a short reply, “T-thanks, it was nice seeing you, Jaehyun.”

“Hey, you should come out on the show one day, we’d love to have you on.” Johnny suddenly offers.

“I’d really like that!”

Before Doyoung can realise what’s happened, Jaehyun’s accepted an offer to be on the show and turned to go home. Doyoung’s left standing in the cold, frozen in place with Johnny looking at him with mild interest. 

“Please tell me that did not just happen,” he begs Johnny. He feels like he’s on the verge of tears.

“Why? Something wrong with Jaehyun, an old college friend and now famous singer songwriter, coming on as a guest on our show?”

Doyoung lets out a small muffled cry of anguish.

“Wait,” Johnny’s tone is filled with amusement “Don’t tell me you still have a crush on him after all these years?” 

When there’s no answer from Doyoung, Johnny sighs in resignation and wraps his arm around Doyoung’s shoulders.

“Ok, Do, I promise I won’t question you about it tonight. But I can’t wait anymore, let’s go get drunk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edited by a sleep-deprived me, so apologies for any mistake, i will go back and fix them!  
> i'm really glad to get this chapter over with, it was quite hard to write (especially the markhyuk), but i'm really enthusiastic about the next chapter, hopefully you'll like it ;)  
> thank you so much to everyone who commented on the last chapter, i read all of them and they honestly gave me a lot of motivation <3


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